


Ohana Means Family

by Profitina



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Adoption, Gen, Infertility
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28036947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Profitina/pseuds/Profitina
Summary: Max and Liz have difficulty conceiving and opt to adopt an entire set of siblings.
Relationships: Max Evans/Liz Ortecho
Comments: 9
Kudos: 11
Collections: Roswell New Mexico Big Bang 2020





	Ohana Means Family

Max kisses the top of Liz’s head and pulls her closer. They’re snuggling in front of the TV watching some awful Rom Com but he knows how stressed she’s been so he doesn’t mind. She tries to hide it from him, but he knows his wife. 

Liz is inside her head, freaking out in there. 

Starting a family was supposed to be exciting and fun. The amount of sex they’ve been having over the last several months alone should have been enjoyable. And sure, it was. It always is. But it’s been a year since they decided to try to start a family and even though no one is saying it outloud, he knows they’re both thinking it. 

What if they can’t have children because they’re different species? What if they are genetically incompatible? He has no doubt that Liz has looked into it in the lab, but something is wrong. He figured there would be no issues with getting Liz pregnant because they were still young and their friend, Maria, was an alien hybrid. So it was possible. But it just wasn’t happening for them. 

“Max?” Liz starts, looking up at him with teary eyes.

Yes.

Anything & Everything she could possibly want.

Liz gasps in on a sob, her eyes shimmering with tears. “There’s something wrong with me.”

“Hey, hey, look at me. There is nothing wrong with you.” Max says firmly, holding her close.

“I think we should look into adoption.” Liz looks up at him, anxious about how he will feel about it.

“I think that is a wonderful idea.” Max agrees. He had already been considering the idea himself.

“What would we tell them about your powers?” Liz wonders aloud.

“I’ll conceal them until they’re old enough to keep it a secret.” Max has to protect his family but he doesn’t want to go back to hiding who he really is ever again. Not from the people he loves.

____________________ 

So they began the adoption process. Liz childproofed everything in the house and Max adapted the two spare rooms into a children's rooms with bunk beds. They painted both of the walls teal so it would work for both genders and be calming. 

And then they got the call that they were approved to adopt. The agency asked what age and gender they wanted and Max and Liz hadn’t really discussed it, other than the willingness to take on children that were deemed as harder to love.

“Liz, they want to know what age and gender we want.” Max sat down on the couch next to his wife of a few years that evening. Max had always wanted a little girl but he also wanted to help children that had been in Michael’s situation.

“You’ve always wanted a girl right? I want at least two so they have a sibling to play with like I did with Rosa.” Liz thought out loud, twirling her long black wavy hair. 

“I don’t want to separate siblings like we were.” Max admits and Liz squeezes his hand in agreement.

“That’s what we should ask for then. A family that needs love. And take them all.” Liz rests her head on Max’s shoulder and snuggles into him. 

————————————-

Entering into the Roswell Orphanage, Max and Liz are greeted by chaos. Dozens of children of all ages are playing and talking all at once. Smirking at her husband, Liz reminded him that they couldn’t take them all. She already knew he was mentally adding rooms to their house and calculating how to pull off bringing them all home. 

“Hi, I am Mrs. Johnson. And you must be the Evans.” A plump pleasant woman greeted them. “Please don’t mind the mess. The children are having play time. Did you decide what type of child you would like to adopt?” 

“We would like your most difficult to place group of siblings. We’re open to adopting them.” Max was getting choked up thinking about the guilt he had carried with him his entire life at being separated from Michael. He and Isobel had gotten a nice upper middle class safe home while Michael had struggled with abuse and constant rejection. Liz squeezed her husband’s hand. 

“Are you sure you don’t want someone easy for your first time?” Mrs. Johnson asked. She had seen enough well meaning people take on more than they could handle to have reservations.

“Yes. My husband was adopted with his sister and separated from his brother. It is very important that we keep a group of siblings together. We’ve taken all the classes and prepared the guest rooms with a bunk bed. Could you introduce us to some of the siblings please?” Liz was firm but kind. She was not going to back down from this idea just because it was harder. They would make due and build a home based on safety and love. 

“If you insist that’s what you want. We have the Harding twins. They are three year old girls. They are easygoing and still young. They are such intelligent, well behaved girls.” Mrs. Johnson gestured at two blonde haired, blue eyed little girls who were playing tea party quietly by themselves at a rickety table.

Liz smiled at the little girls. They were adorable, but there were children more in need of help. They would have no problem being placed together. “Have any of these children been returned for bad behavior or been in multiple foster homes? Those are the children we want to love unconditionally forever.”

Mrs. Johnson shifts uncomfortably. “To be honest, most of these children have had at least two homes.” Max sucks in a breath. He knew how hard the system could be. “None more so than the Hernandez siblings. Their mother was addicted to drugs and we don’t even know who the father was. She was illegal but they were born here. Two were just brought back so all four are here together again.”

Max and Liz glanced at each other. They had a feeling they had found the children they would be taking home. “We would love to meet them.” 

Max was nervously excited. He knew the next moment would change his life. 

He couldn’t enter the mindscape like his sister, Isobel, could. But he could project his thoughts. And so he asked Liz if four were too many to start out with. Liz discreetly shakes her head no at his question and he smiles at her. 

“They’re probably older than you had planned on. They’re all over 5.” Mrs. Johnson warned them. No one had ever come in to adopt a set of siblings together.

“That’s perfect. We were hoping for children around 7 years old.” Liz smiled conspiratorially at Max and they followed the woman to a table where four children were sitting. All four were tan, with dark hair and dark eyes like Liz. She instantly felt a kinship with them. 

“This is Juan, he is 5 years old and such a good boy.” Mrs. Johnson pointed at the youngest little boy. He still had round baby cheeks and looked up and smiled at his name. The Evans’ heart melted. “And this is Luciana. She is 7 years old and loves sports.” Lucy looked up at her name and waved shyly. Her cheeks were covered in dirt from tackling the boys outside. “And her older brother, Enrique. He is 8 and enjoys reading.” Enrique looked up from the book he was reading in Spanish. “And their older sister, Camilla. She is 10. She doesn’t speak to anyone.” Camilla startled at her name then calmed when she saw no one meant her any harm. She could understand English but she had never really learned to speak it.

Sitting on the floor next to Camilla, Liz smiled warmly at them all. “Hola.” Max started in Spanish as he squared next to the youngest boy and the children smiled at finally being spoken to in their native tongue. “Como esta?” He had been practicing his Spanish after living with Liz for years so that he could figure out why she was angry when she started ranting at him. 

“Estoy bien” the youngest of the girls replied that she was fine and bounced a little. 

Not even needing to ask Max if they were on the same page by the look in his  
eyes, Liz asked the children in Spanish if they would like to come live with them- together. The children replied with a chorus of Si’s- except Camilla.  
.  
“Mrs. Johnson? What do we need to sign to bring all four of these darlings home with us?” Max asked. He was going to lose his spare rooms but he was gaining a family. It was a good trade. 

————————————-

“Welcome home.” Liz tells the children in Spanish. “The girls get one room and the boys get the other one.”

“What should we call you?” Juan asks shyly. Every adult he had met since entering foster care had a different name preference. It was confusing.

“You can call us Mami and Papi. Or Mom and Dad. Or Liz and Max. Why don’t you have a private family meeting to discuss it and settle in?” Liz answers in Spanish. And that is how the children decide to call them Mami and Daddy. 

Sitting criss crossed on the floor of the boys room in a circle, the children speak Spanish quietly to each other. 

“We should call Liz Mami, because she speaks like us.” Camilla starts off the discussion.

“And Max should be daddy. Papi doesn’t feel right.” Luciana adds. 

“But only when they’ve earned it.” Enrique side eyes the doorway where his new parents are down the hall. He feels this situation is too good to be true and is wary of the situation.

Having worked out what to call their new parents, the youngest child lets out a whoop and says “I call top bunk!” Scrambling up the ladder of the bunk bed.

“Race you!” Lucy declares to Camilla, running towards the girls room. Camilla calmly follows behind her.

————————————-

Liz makes it her goal to teach the children English and Max Spanish that summer so that they will have an easier time adapting to learning at Roswell Elementary and Max can understand his children. 

Liz points at a picture of an apple. “Apple!” Answers Enrique excitedly.

“What color is it, Max?”

“Uh. roja?” He’s pretty sure he knows this one.

“Good!” Liz tosses a piece of candy to Enrique & Max. “Max, what is this?” Liz points at a picture of a cat. Camilla sits cross legged on the floor and stares blankly back at Liz, although she has been listening intently to the lesson.

“El Cato?” Max tries, shrugging sheepishly at the giggling children.

“El gato.” Camilla whispers. Liz takes the victory and gently tosses a piece of candy to the girl for at least speaking. She has never spoken to them before and she’s been with them a week.

“Why Ms. Camilla! It is a pleasure to finally hear your voice.” Max smiles at his oldest. She looks away shyly at the attention, but chimes in once more a while later to once again correct Max. 

“Milla talks.” Juan rolls his eyes. Having grown up in the system, Juan spoke decent English and Spanish. Lucy and Ricky could understand English and knew the most important words in the language. Milla preferred to only speak her native tongue to her siblings, although she understood most English words.

Taking note of the fact that the other children call her Milla, it becomes a nickname for Camilla for the whole family. It is much preferred over shortening it to Cam for max and Liz. The nicknames for Lucy and Ricky soon follow. 

————————————-

They go to swimming lessons at an indoor pool all summer with GrandPapi Arturo on the days when Liz and Max work. Not only are his childcare services affordable, but he speaks both English and Spanish fluently. 

Milla can feel herself start to panic, Everyone is standing too close around her, calling her weird and asking why she never talks above a whisper. She begins to wring her hands. When Lucy storms over to confront the bullies, Milla digs her nails in until her hands bleed.

And that is how Lucy gets them banned from the City pool for the rest of the summer for whooping a much larger bullies butt. Arturo apologizes profusely to the manager of the pool, but doesn’t make a big deal about it with the children. Families take care of each other. 

“Lucy! You've got some explaining to do!” Arturo calls out to the younger girl, wagging his eyebrows as he collects their things to leave. Milla is shakily by the edge of the pool trying to drag her brothers out.

“Que?” Lucy asks him in confusion. 

“It was a tv show, I love Lucy. Lucy always got up to something.” The boys approach them dripping wet, and Arturo hands them a towel. “Ricky was married to Lucy on that show.”

Lucy stares at GrandPapi like she doesn’t believe him while Ricky makes a gagging sound at the idea of a Ricky and Lucy together.

They return to the Crashdown to change clothes, and after repeatedly telling the children he isn’t angry and they aren’t being returned, Arturo makes all four of them humongous milkshakes. Liz will be angry he gave them such big milkshakes before dinner but what else was he supposed to do?

______________________

Their first day at Roswell Elementary, Ricky bursts into the bathroom while Lucy is getting ready for school. He snatches her bagel with cream cheese and goes to head off with it but she leaps onto his back trying to snatch her breakfast back.

“You can’t just bust into the bathroom, Ricky! What if I was naked?” Lucy growls at him rapidly in Spanish.

Ricky gags at the mental image and Lucy’s arms holding on around his neck. Juan hollers down the hallway that Mami says to hurry up and get ready. Somehow, Lucy’s big toe gets stuck in one of her brother's belt loops and he drags her along like an awkward sloth on his back. Milla watches her siblings antics from her bedroom doorway, giggling.

“Just make another one and get off my back.” Ricky grumbles, trying to shake Lucy off. 

Her toe is still caught in his belt loop, so she falls back, hitting her head on the floor. She shrieks and screams so loudly about thinking her toe is broken that Juan startles and bumps into the coffee table, letting out a scream. “MY TIBIA!” 

“What’s going on? Why is everybody screaming?” Max is confused at first, then realizes tibia means his leg and that Liz has been teaching the children anatomy again. “You want some ice?”

Ricky nods in answer, holding his left leg. Max knows it isn’t broken or he wouldn’t be able to move it like that. Max is in his uniform for work and sighs. He gently pulls Lucy’s toe out of Ricky’s belt loop then goes to get ice for everyone. After ten minutes of holding ice on their injuries, the children are back to running around so Max doesn’t call Liz. Somehow, she finds out anyway. She always knows everything.

————————————-

“Did you brush your chompers?” Liz whispers to Lucy. She tries not to make any sudden movements when Juan is going potty because while he is potty trained, he gets distracted easily and misses the bowl.

Lucy nods, then she finally feels comfortable enough to ask. ”Mami?”

“Hmm?” Liz answers, steering Juan to the sink to wash his hands and brush his teeth.

“Can we get me some clothes that aren’t dresses?”. Lucy can’t do flips on the swings & live her best life if she’s worried about keeping her dress clean. 

“Of course we can.” Liz smiles warmly at her youngest daughter.

After brushing their teeth, the children walk past the tv in the living room. “Allacazam!” Juan shouts as he hops, gesturing at the tv.

Much to his amazement and Liz’s amusement, the television turns on. Juan gasps, spinning in a circle and once again extending his hands at the tv. 

It turns off and he squeals with delight. Liz can hear Max chuckling from across the room and is clearly the culprit. 

“My turn!” Lucy gives a hearty kick and swings her eyes to the TV like Matilda in her books. It instantly turns on and she hops excitedly.

“Mami! It’s magic!” Juan squeals gleefully. 

“I see, little man, I see!” Liz crosses her eyes playfully at Max across the room. 

Max is glad she is amused because they never discussed their thoughts on playing harmless tricks. Or magic, for that matter. 

Liz thinks there is some sort of evolutionary advantage to whimsy. Besides, she could listen to her children’s joy forever.

______________________

The boys dress up as skeletons and Milla wears on of Liz’s old dresses as a Katrina for Halloween. Max and Liz are also dressed as skeletons and Katrina’s and everyone matches as a family- except Lucy. Lucy was determined to be a werewolf.

Whenever there is someone approaching in a scary costume, Max flings his cape over his closest child until the danger has passed and for a moment, the child is shrouded in darkness. It becomes a game and makes the children giggle.

“Lick or Treat!” Juan calls out excitedly when the door opens.

Max wiggles his eyebrows at Liz and she pinches his side. “It’s trick or treat, sweet heart.”

“That’s what I said!” Juan argues, turning on his cutest smile when the door swings open. 

The next house is Lucy’s turn to ring the doorbell. She shuffles in her warm hairy werewolf costume to ring the bell.

Bert swings open the door dressed as an inflatable Trex. “Happy Hallo-oh my god. It’s happening again.” Bert’s eyes widen at Lucy’s costume and he screams, dropping the entire bowl of candy in his haste to shut the door. 

“Gracias amigo!” Ricky calls out to Bert’s retreating form, taking a handful of candy. 

————————————-

On thanksgiving, the family has breakfast at the Crashdown then help Arturo with his Stuffing Probed Turkey & Mashteroids dish for the day.

The plan is to get all dressed up to have a full fancy dinner at Max’s with a ham and turkey. On their way, Liz makes a pit stop back at the Crashdown. She is out of allergy medication and she needs it before going near the massive floral displays at the Evans house.

“We’re here to get Mamis special nose medicine.” Juan bounces a little and smiles at the alien drawings on the wall. 

Rosa smirks at her nephew and raises an eyebrow at Liz. “Oh?”

“Flonase, baby. It’s called Flonase.” Liz reminds her youngest. “Max’s mom always has out fresh flowers and it upsets my allergies.”

“Hey, no judgement.” Rosa sticks her tongue out at Liz.

______________________

“Feliz Navidad, Daddy!” 

Max winces as Juan pounces on top of him, his bony knees digging into his sides and his elbows jamming between his ribs. The weight of at least two of his other children piling in bed hit him and he prays that none of them accidentally knee him in the groin. 

“Christmas is tomorrow. Go back to bed.” Max teases, squinting sleepily at his children. Liz has somehow managed to talk all four of them into wearing matching red and green reindeer pajamas. No wonder she was so insistent that Max wear his matching Christmas pajamas last night before bed.

Ricky presses against Max’s chest, sitting up. “No it isn’t. Mami has had us take turns opening the doors on the advent calendar grand papi got us and there’s only one door left. It’s today!” 

“She said to tell you that she is making churro pancakes and to get up.” Milla adds quietly. It had taken her a long time to feel comfortable and safe enough with them to use her voice but between the outpouring of love and her therapy sessions, she finally opened up.

Max smiles and looks up at his children, placing his arm under his head. 

“You’re fibbing, aren’t you daddy?” Lucy asks worriedly. His youngest daughter leans forward, narrowing her eyes at him to see if he is serious. “You’re telling a fib aren’t you?”

“That’s a quarter in the fib jar!” Juan declares gleefully. He was well acquainted with the fib jar toll.

Max suddenly lunges forward, tickle attacking his children and smiling at the joyful sound of their giggles as they fall off his chest onto the bed. 

“I knew it! Daddy is fibbing.” Lucy giggles breathlessly.

“Your churro pancakes are getting cold!” Liz calls out from the kitchen and the children bounce out of bed to go have Christmas breakfast.

The second Max enters the kitchen, Liz grabs his face with both hands, pulling him down and kissing the shit out of him. He grips her waist and pulls her closer until the chorus of gagging children remind them that they are not alone. You would think they would be immune to PDA with all of it that goes on in the house, but without fail, they give them hell. 

“Merry Christmas” Liz says softly, cheeks flushed. “Who’s ready for churro pancakes?” Liz calls out and all the children run to their places at the table in excitement. They love churro pancakes.

“And then we get to open presents.” Max plops into his usual chair at the head of the table and the children bounce.

“We get presents?!” Juan asks excitedly.

“Of course, little man, of course.” Max reassures him.

The children glance at eachother and smile. They’ve never gotten individual Christmas presents before.

Much like Thanksgiving, Arturo- Grand Papi as the children called him- taught the children how to make tamales as was tradition. Then they celebrated as Ortechos the evening before because the Crashdown was always open on holidays. Much to Arturo’s pride, his entire family made it to the candle light service at their Catholic Church for the first time in over a decade. 

Christmas morning was just Max, Liz and the children. They would be meeting The Evans- Glamma, Grandpa & Isobel- for a multiple course Christmas meal that afternoon. That way everybody got to have individual time with the children without overwhelming them. Liz knew to watch Ricky and Milla for signs of anxiety like twisting their hands nervously as her sign to leave. 

____________________

Arturo watches the children for New Years Eve so that Max & Liz can have a date night. He serves the children sparkling white grape juice for New Years Eve and they try to stay up until midnight but one by one fall asleep on each other waiting for the ball in Times Square to drop.

Meanwhile, in the Wild Pony, Max is reminding himself that his father in law raised two wonderful girls on his own and everything is probably fine.

Liz bites her lip. She’s wearing a short black skirt and silver sparkly top with red lip stick and winged eye liner. “We should check on the kids.”

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Max reassures her.

“What if Milla is anxious?” Liz frets.

“Then she will do her breathing exercises or will text us herself.”

“What if Ricky finishes his book and gets restless?”

“He took an extra book. There’s no way he finished Gullivers Travels in one night.” Ricky was always so careful with his books that Max had allowed him access to his entire rare book collection. Max always knew when one of the girls had borrowed one because he would find little flowers doodled in the margin. 

The first time he saw it, it almost made him cry because he cherished his books. But it meant his children were trying to read better in English so he never got on to them. 

“What if Lucy…”

Max leans forward and kisses his wife. “They would call us if they weren’t fine.”

Across the bar, Kyle and Cam are having one of their last date nights before she is due with their first child. It started as scratching an itch then became so much more. Max and Liz wave at them for privacy. Besides, Kyle had finally cut off anything having to do with aliens after performing a second heart transplant on Max with Mr. Jones’ heart the year before. 

————————————-

Liz calls Maria breathless from holding back Lucy and Ricky’s hair as they projectile vomited all over her freshly cleaned bathroom. She suspects they have the flu and needs to get them into the pediatrician as soon as possible. But Max was working today and Liz needed to do her best to keep the two remaining children from getting sick. “Maria? Are you busy?” 

“Not this second, what’s up?” Maria is doing inventory but she can tell by Liz’s voice that something is wrong. And then she hears the retching in the background. 

“You can’t get sick right? My middle two need to go to the doctor but I don’t have anyone to watch the other two while I go because Max is at work.” Liz pats Ricky on the back while he dry heaves. There can’t be much left in his stomach after being sick all morning. They leave it unspoken that Isobel definitely can’t handle vomit, although she does take the girls for pedicures while uncle Alex takes the boys to paintball regularly.

“I’ll be there in fifteen.” Maria promises, grabbing her purse and locking up the Wild Pony. Inventory can wait until later. 

When Maria walks into the Evans’ household, Juan and Camilla are sitting quietly on the couch watching cartoons. A flustered Liz comes into the room, followed by two sweaty tiny figures carrying those little sand buckets kids use to play in the sand. 

Juan lets out a sound that is a cross between a groan and a cry and his shoulders fall forward as he wretches. Lucy pats his back before following with her own dry heaving. Liz whimpers at their pain and tries not to gag. Something about that sound has always gotten to her. 

“Oh my god! Are you little guys okay?” Maria squats down in front of her niece and nephew.

“I think they have the flu” Liz explains. “I have a doctor's appointment for them but I don’t want the other two to go and risk getting exposed to the virus. Can you watch them until I get back?”

“I am free until happy hour starts and the drunks start waddling in at four.” Maria reassures her friend. “I’ve got this.”

Liz drops down into a crouch so she is eye level with Juan and Camilla on the couch. “Do you guys think you’d be okay to hang out with Aunt Maria for a while? Just until daddy gets home?” 

Camilla looks from her Mami to Maria and back again, lips pursed in a line. She is very particular about which adults she allows to be close to her. Juan nods eagerly. He loves everybody. 

“Do you guys want to color? We could draw together while you wait for your daddy.” Maria offers. 

Camilla considers the offer for a few seconds before finally nodding. Juan bounces excitedly and pumps his fist. 

“Awesome. Looks like you’re good to go.” Maria smiles at Liz. 

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate this.” Liz hates to have to ask for help but it takes a village to raise a child and luckily, Liz has the best village.

“It’s no problem at all.”

Liz kisses Juan’s forehead before turning to Camilla and squeezing her hand gently. In Spanish, she tells her that it shouldn’t be long and she will text with updates so she doesn’t worry. Camilla nods in agreement. 

Maria turns to the children, whose eyes are focused on the empty doorway where their Mami just left with their siblings. Camilla’s hands are in her lap and she’s wringing them nervously. 

“We should probably all wash our hands, shouldn’t we?” Maria smiles reassuringly at the children. She was an only child and all of her childcare experience comes from babysitting drunks at the bar. But she is naturally a caregiver.

Camilla drags her eyes from the door and nods once. Juan bounces out of his seat and practically skips to the kitchen sink. He steps up onto his hippo stool and waits for Maria to turn on the tap water with his hands outstretched. 

Maria turns on the cold water, and Juan sticks his hands under the water. Camilla follows suit and Maria pumps the lemon scented kitchen soap onto each of their hands. “We will wash them really well so you guys don’t catch what your siblings have ok?”

Both the children nod and Maria begins singing the Happy Birthday song. A slight smile curves up one corner of Camilla’s mouth and Juan giggles. “It’s not our birthday!” He informs Maria. 

Maria watches the children rub their hands together with the foaming soap waiting for her to turn the water back on to rinse them. “When I was little, my mom always told me to sing the Happy Birthday song twice when I washed my hands to get rid of germs. Do your parents do that?”

“Mami does. Daddy forgets.” Juan offers. His daddy isn’t as worried about germs as Mami is. 

Maria stifles a laugh. Of course Max forgets. Germs don’t effect him. “Do you want to keep seeing or do you think you’re done?”

Juan answers her by breaking into song and Camilla rolls her eyes and keeps scrubbing. Once they are done, Maria hands them a towel to dry their hands. Maria grabs a few pieces of paper out of Max’s printer while the children pull out their art supplies. 

“Do you want to make a card for Ricki and Lucy to tell them to feel better?” Maria suggests. 

The children nod so Maria shows them a trick. “Can you hold the corners of the paper for me?” She asks gently, waiting until Juan presses the corners of the paper down, folding it in half. Maria smoothes along the seam with her fingers to form a crease. When she looks up, Camilla has already folded her piece of paper and has pulled out a purple crayon. 

They sit, side by side at the children’s art table coloring for half an hour quietly coloring. Maria doodles little flowers while Juan scribbles furiously and Camilla carefully draws a picture of her and her siblings with their new parents. Crayons aren’t the best medium for art, and Maria says so. Camilla nods. 

“Aunt Rosa is an artist too. I bet she would paint with you. Would you like me to ask?” Maria offers and Camilla whispers a soft “Si.”

Shortly later, Michael walks in and approaches the table. “What do we have here?” He smiles at the children and Maria pretends to be unaffected. “Why, Mister Juan, that is a fabulous use of color! And Miss Camilla, you have such talent for shapes!”

Juan beams a broken toothed smile at his uncle. Camilla ducks her head and gives him a shy smile, peeking up at him through her long lashes. 

“We’re making cards for Ricky & Lucy!” Juan tells him proudly.

“That’s awesome my man.” Michael replies, looking at Maria. “Deluca, I believe it is time for you to go to work. I’ve got this until Max gets off.”

“I’ll go to work when it’s time, Guerin.” Maria rolls her eyes, then glances at her watch. If she wants to change and be back at the Wild Pony before happy hour, she needs to get moving. “You sure?”

“Absolutely. Have a great night. Everybody wave to Aunt Maria. We’ll wait until she’s gone to find your mom’s secret sugar stash.” Michael winks at Maria and she huffs, getting up from the little chair to get her purse.

______________________

After having a sister day, Rosa and Liz return to the Evans household. When Milla realizes her mom is home, she pushes back her chair and rushes over, wrapping herself around Liz’s leg like a python. 

“I hope you still like me when you are a teenager.” Liz teases her, pulling her long black ponytail. 

When Milla spots Rosa, she abandons her mother’s leg and rushes over to give Rosa the same hug treatment. Then she takes Rosa by the hand and tugs her towards her room. 

“Where are we going?” Rosa giggles at her nieces exuberance. 

“My room! Aunt Maria said you like to make art and we’re having a painting party.” 

“She did, did she?” Rosa had always considered her art more of a coping mechanism than a skill but Milla was practically skipping and she was not going to deny her.

When they walk in the girls room, Rosa can tell that the girls have been busy painting and of course, Lucy insists Rosa joins them for their painting party. Liz comes in and tries to persuade the girls that Rosa will come back another time to paint but the girls insist. And Rosa is more than happy to lose herself in finger paints for a while. Lucy puts a different color on each finger and waves her hands wildly all over her paper creating a gray, rainbow hued mix of colors. 

For the first time since she joined their family, Milla is chatty as she paints. She tells Rosa all about the things she loves while carefully painting an orange tabby cat. “I want a cat but daddy said he’s allergic and that we should get a dog instead. But dogs lick their anus and then your face. That’s disgusting!”

Rosa smirks because Max doesn’t have allergies, but he does hate cats. Rosa knows that Liz was adamant that the children learn the actual names for body parts and not cutesy words, but still hearing a child say “anus” is funny. 

“My friend at school has a dog!” Lucy exclaims, joining the conversation now that the colors on her fingers are all mixed together. “It ate his favorite stuffy and he cried.”

By the time they have finished their paintings, it is 8 o clock and almost time for bed for the children. Rosa keeps having to remind them not to rub their tired eyes with paint covered hands. They take turns washing up and then the girls get ready for bed. They both get themselves ready for bed, although Lucy’s pajamas are on backwards. Rosa can hear Liz and Max putting the boys to bed in the other room. 

After all the children are asleep, Liz plops down on the couch in the living room next to Rosa. “Thank you so much for indulging them. They love their Aunt Rosa and they would spend all day painting if I let them.”

“It was my pleasure. Milla is really talented for her age and Lucy is learning to mix her colors. Milla talked up a storm while she was painting.” 

“Did she? She really loves it and it helps bring her out of her shell.” Liz glances at her sister speculatively, an idea occurring to her. “You’re welcome to come paint with the children any time. They like the child therapists we take them to, but Milla has yet to really open up to one. It’s a big deal that she opened up to you.”

“I’d be happy to come over any time.” Rosa taps her fingers on the arm of the couch nervously for a few seconds before confiding, “I actually considered going to school to be an art therapist.”

“I think you would be great at that! You’re amazingly talented and still in touch with your inner child so the kids open up to you like you’re a peer.” Liz teases her sister. “I poked my head in to see if you needed help to escape the children and Milla was talking up a storm. She only ever talks like that with us. We’ve tried three different therapists and no one has gotten her to say more than a few words.”

“It really wasn’t a big deal…” Compliments make Rosa feel uncomfortable and all she did was spend time with her nieces. 

“It was everything. Maybe you should start coming to paint with Milla? We could pay you.” Liz bumps her sister's shoulder.

“You don’t have to pay me.” Rosa rolls her eyes, her mind spinning with possibilities.

“And if you’re interested, you could come visit the art therapy nonprofit the children attend on Saturday mornings.”

“I’d like that.”

______________________

The next morning, Max gets Juan and Lucy to soccer practice while Liz tries to get Ricky and Milla ready for art therapy. Ricky requires no prodding to get dressed and eat breakfast. He wanders around their kitchen with his nose in a book, barely glancing at his bowl of cereal before he fills it with lucky charms and 2% milk and slowly shovels it in his mouth as he reads. 

Rosa shows up just as breakfast is winding down. Milla is happily munching on a strawberry frosted poptart. The children put their dishes away and Liz herds them out the door to her SUV to get buckled in. Ricky argues with Milla about who gets to sit where before Liz just huffs and tells them where to sit. She whispers something to him that seems to placate him and he clicks in his seatbelt and shuts his door. 

When they arrive at the Roswell Art Center, Milla wants to show Rosa around. Milla talks to her in a mix of Spanish and English softly, where Rosa has to listen closely to hear. When she reaches out to Juan to grab his hand to drag him along with them on their tour, he yanks his hand away and goes to a chair to pout. He wanted to go to the library instead of the art center, but Milla needs art therapy. 

Milla shrugs at her brother's behavior leaving him to discuss a compromise with Liz. She is too excited to be creating to be bothered with his attitude. She shows her Aunt Rosa all the pieces she’s done since she began coming to the center proudly. Once Rosa has had the full tour, Milla grabs a smock and takes a seat at one of the painting easels. A grumpy Juan does the same, slumping in the chair next to her. Once they are all settled, Liz and Rosa stand back and watch a while. 

“Do they always come together?” Rosa asks, smirking as Juan throws paint at his canvas sullenly while Milla carefully paints some sort of animal.

Liz shakes her head. “Juan only comes when Lucy and Ricky also have soccer practice so Max can’t take them to the library. There’s four of them and two of us. Sometimes, everybody doesn’t get what they want. Plus, I think it is important for Milla to come by herself so she can find her own voice instead of being helped by her siblings.”

One of the staff members come to say hello and Liz introduces Rosa as her “artist sister”. They start talking about their programs, how they have informal drop ins, art therapy and classes. Rosa is riveted by the things the program is achieving and before they leave, has filled out volunteer forms and promised them that she can make a long term commitment to the center. She’s excited to volunteer for a program that explores her passions. They drop Rosa off on the way home, popping in to say hello to Grand Papi and have lunch. Rosa and Milla’s hearts feel lighter after their visit to the center.

______________________

Ricky is sitting at the table, drawing pad open and his colored pencils splayed out across the table. 

Max watches him flip to a blank page and knows he’s making a drawing for Rebecca without even having to ask. Ricky sticks out his tongue concentrating as he folds the paper in half carefully. Max knows it before Ricky picks out the pink colored pencil to use. 

Ricky is in love. Full blown, out of his mind in love already at seven years old. If it was any other kid, Max would blow it off as a phase. But when he was that age, he fell in love with Liz and it never left him so he has no doubt his son feels the same way about this girl. It’s crazy, but it’s true. 

Ricky looks up at Max. “Daddy?”

“How can I help you, little man?” Max asks, ruffling Ricky’s hair. 

“I’m gonna marry Rebecca someday.” Ricky says it like it is a certainty, and Max has no doubt that it is.

Liz gasps and grabs hold of Max’s hand as something warm spreads underneath his ribs. “I know you will.” Max reassures him, sharing a secret smile with Liz. 

“I love the way he loves. It’s just like you were.” Liz says quietly to her husband. Max squeezes her hand in agreement.

______________________

“Mami, today the teacher said we should marry our best friend.” Ricky announces when he is picked up from school, sliding into the back seat of the SUV and buckling his seatbelt in rhythm with the clicks of his siblings' seatbelts.

“Mrs. Parker is right! Your daddy is my best friend.” Liz agrees.

“Yeah. So, Rebecca said she is going to Marry Ben.” Ricky starts.

“Uh huh? And who do you think you going to marry?”

“I’m going to marry Rebecca.” Ricky tells his Mami firmly.

“But Rebecca wants to marry Ben.” Liz raises an eyebrow at her oldest son.

“Rebecca doesn’t know what she wants. Because she gets mad when I play with Emmanuelle and not her. So don’t worry about us. I’ve got this.”

Liz’s eyes widen comically and fly to Max for direction. He would help her, but he is too busy stifling a laugh. 

————————————-

Max hears something shuffling in the hallway and opens one eye, debating if it is an intruder. Just as he is preparing to get his service revolver out of the safe in his bedside table, he makes out the sound of little foot steps. Once he passes the nightlight in the hallway, Juan scurries the rest of the way into his parents room. He promptly dives face first into their bed and under the covers.

“What’s going on Mister Juan?” Max asks sleepily, smiling as Juan pops up at the head of the bed between Max and Liz.

“Daddy, there’s a chupacabra in my room! It’s going to drain us dry!” Juan’s eyes swing wildly around the room. 

“Vampire bats are the only mammals that drink blood.” Liz reassures him. 

“Vampires are real!” Exclaims Juan worriedly. 

“Only as bats” Max reassures his youngest son, tickling him in his stomach. “Come on. I’ll get a flashlight and I’ll show you nothing is there.”

“What’s going on?” Ricky wipes his eyes sleepily coming into his parents room.

“Your brother thought he saw a chupacabra.”

“Dios mio! And he just left me in there?!” Ricky dives into bed with his parents and little brother.

“You were reading under the covers with a flashlight. You didn’t notice me run by you.” Juan sticks his tongue out at his older brother. 

“Hey, no shame in reading. What book had you so captivated, little man?” Max smiles. Ricky wasn’t born his but he sure reminded him of himself. 

“Huckleberry Finn!”

Liz smiles at her boys discussing literature. They should all be in bed, but she was just happy he had learned to read well enough in English to start going through Max’s collection. She is content and her heart is full.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Anything & Everything](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28051233) by [christchex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/christchex/pseuds/christchex)




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